Serena Williams was named the Laureus World Sports Awards Sportswoman of the Year on Tuesday night at a ceremony in Monaco, giving her a record fifth win. Her 11 nominations for the international honor is also a record.
The 36-year-old from Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, won her 23rd Grand Slam title and her seventh Australian Open in 2017 before going on maternity leave and giving birth to her first child.
Serena returned to competition for an exhibition match in December but skipped January’s Australian Open.
In addition to her dominant play in the Grand Slams, Williams has competed in four Olympics since 2000, missing only the 2004 Games. She has one gold medal in singles, won in 2012 in London, and three gold medals in doubles (2000, 2008, 2012). Entering the 2016 Olympics, she and sister Venus were undefeated in Olympic doubles at 15-0 and were the winningest doubles team in Olympic history.
The Laureus World Sports Awards were founded in 2000 to honor athletic achievement from around the world and the ability of sports to bring about positive social change
Source: News Agencies
